The following is a summary of “Genetics of migraine: where are we now?,” published in the February 2023 issue of Neurology by Grangeon, et al.
Migraine, a multifaceted neurological disorder, happens due to the interaction between environmental and genetic factors. In monogenic forms of migraine, such as familial hemiplegic migraine and migraine with aura associated with hereditary small-vessel disorders, specific genes are responsible for coding proteins expressed in neurons, glial cells, or vessels, increasing vulnerability to cortical spreading depression.
Research on monogenic migraines revealed the prominent involvement of the neurovascular unit in migraine pathophysiology. Genome-wide association studies identified numerous susceptibility variants, each contributing minimally to the overall risk of migraine. These over 180 known variants are associated with complex networks of molecular abnormalities, primarily affecting neurons or vasculature, which led to migraine development. Genetic studies have also shed light on shared genetic factors between migraine and major comorbidities such as depression and hypertension.
Further investigations are necessary to identify all susceptibility loci for migraine and elucidate how these genomic variants influence migraine-related cellular phenotypes.